Oh, Baby!
by S. C. Hardy
Summary: Ron's away on a business trip, and his wife, Hermione, goes into labor just a little bit early. Harry and Ginny are there to help, but will Ron make it back in time for the birth of his child?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is the sequel to my story, "You Can Call Me Daddy". In that short Ron and Hermione found out they were pregnant, and here's the conclusion of that discovery…**

**Disclaimer: I'm just borrowing JKR's wonderful characters :)**

_Oh, Baby_

There was quiet murmuring in the kitchen of Godric's Hollow, the occupants trying to be considerate of their guest. They tiptoed around and hushed each other when a slight noise was made, though their actions were going completely unnoticed. Their guest, unlike the people in the kitchen thought, was wide-awake, rocking slowly in a chair by her bed, humming a little tune.

Hermione Granger-Weasley loved Harry and Ginny Potter very much. The two had been absolutely wonderful, awfully kind and attentive. They made her cookies and cakes and satisfied any cravings she might have. Ginny always brought the fluffiest pillows and Harry always brought home a new book just as Hermione was finishing her last. She knew it was wrong, but she rather enjoyed being waited on hand and foot, though she knew it wouldn't last much longer.

It wouldn't last, because any day now, she would give birth to her first child.

There was a reason she was staying at Godric's Hollow, and that was because Ron was busy making sure he got the promotion he deserved. Hermione missed her husband terribly, but she knew that the business trip to Bulgaria would surely secure Ron's position as Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports. It was a job he desperately desired and there was no way she'd whine and make him not go.

Well, she had wanted to, she _really_ wanted him by her side, but she knew in the long run it would be worth it. He would be home before the expected date, which was Christmas, so he had three days before Hermione was allowed to kill him.

So, she was staying at Godric's Hollow, a rather large house in a secluded wooden area where no Muggles or even Wizards could find without actually knowing where it was. After Harry had defeated Voldemort (along with the rest of the Order and his good friends), he had rebuilt and moved into his parents' old home, _his _old home. The Boy-Who-Lived deserved it.

It pained her not to be in her own house, the house she and Ron had made into a home. It was a cozy two story in a Muggle neighborhood that they had purchased three years ago. They had chosen this location because it was just unfair to expect Hermione's parents make arrangements around magical people to visit her daughter's family. Ron had been a little worried, but he was already blending in wonderfully: he had learned to drive and _loved_ it.

Baby's (they had been calling her large stomach simply 'Baby') room was already painted and ready to have an occupant. The walls were white at the moment, but as soon as Baby entered, the color would change depending on the sex. The walls already contained photographs of their relatives, and Hermione had made sure that both sets of grandparents were in equal distance to Baby's crib.

"Ooh," Hermione whispered, feeling her baby kick. She put her hands on her rather large stomach, silently grateful that she would soon be able to wear her old clothing. As much as she loved the feeling of connection she had with Baby, it was time to get back to her normal self.

Baby kicked again, this time, rougher.

"Play nice," she giggled. Already he was rough, like his father.

_He._ It was almost painful how much Hermione wanted a little boy to call her own. She knew it was probable that her child was going to be a boy, considering that her husband was a Weasley, but there was always that chance, and she prayed that for the first time in her life she would go with the flow. The two soon-to-be parents had refused to find out the sex, knowing that there would be just _that_ much more excitement the day the baby arrived.

…Though, there _was_ something Ron and Hermione _did_ know that the rest of the family didn't…

The former Head Girl wanted a little redheaded son. She wanted him to like to read, but also be good at Quidditch. She wanted Ron to play wrestle with him on the rug and she wanted to teach him all about the Muggle world; she wanted her father to have a grandson since he didn't have a son to carry on the family name. A boy would be _wonderful_, a boy would be _perfect_, and a boy would be everything she and Ron had ever wanted from a child. Just a sweet little—

"_OW!_" she shrieked, the tremendous jerk in her stomach sending shock waves through her body. "You little _buggers_!"

"Hermione?" Harry's voice called from somewhere downstairs. It sounded worried, and it was immediately followed by the sound of two pairs of footsteps. Ginny must have been with him when he heard the scream.

Hermione was trying to push herself up from the chair without letting her legs buckle beneath her; what _was_ that? Her back throbbed and she put a hand to her head, trying to stop the dizziness that occurred.

The door burst open and Harry and Ginny entered with wide, frantic eyes. They had been walking on glass these past couple of days with her, and anything remotely wrong would send them into panic attacks.

"What happened?" Ginny exclaimed as she rushed over, helping Hermione stand upright. Harry was standing in the middle of the doorway, one foot in the room and one foot in the hall; he was ready to Apparate out and get the help they needed.

Shaking her head, Hermione managed to smile and push Ginny away,

"It's nothing, really, I think the little one just kicked _immensely _hard."

Harry and Ginny didn't look any more relaxed, and actually didn't seem to believe her. Harry finally entered the room so he could help Ginny maneuver Hermione to the bed.

"Well, if it was just that, maybe you should lie down so she doesn't knock you over," Ginny said nonchalantly. Hermione and Harry instantly groaned: Ginny was desperate for a niece. The redhead looked on in feigned confusion and the other two simply rolled their eyes.

It wasn't as if she didn't have nieces, the first Weasley grandchild _was _a girl, Ginny just wanted Hermione to have a little bundle of pink to call her own and for Ron to actually _deal_ with raising a girl, since he couldn't handle one for most of his adolescence.

"No, I don't want to lie down, that's why I was in the rocking chair," Hermione noted casually, the pain having subsided a good three minutes before. She wondered if it could have been a contraction, but completely dismissed the thought; Baby was due on Christmas, and it was going to be the best present she had ever received.

But then, another shot of pain raced through her lower back, making her stumble and plop rather heavily onto the bed. Ginny squeaked and Harry paled, but Hermione just grimaced and tried to remain calm.

"Seriously…" she groaned, "I'm _fine_."

Harry and Ginny looked dubious, and stood over her as if waiting for something to explode. Hermione huffed and patted her stomach in a reassuring manner,

"Baby isn't due for another three days—"

"_Approximately_," Harry interrupted, green eyes wide. "Which means that it could happen within the range of that, do you…d'you think you're going into labor?" All color that remained on his face dissolved and Hermione was actually quite moved by his worry.

"Harry, it _can't_ happen today," Hermione argued. "I can't travel by Floo or Apparate, and you two don't have a _car_! How on Earth am I to get to a hospital _today_? _That's_ why Baby is waiting until Ron comes home so _he_ can take me."

"But—" Ginny exclaimed, looking extremely nervous.

"_No_ buts!"

"Her_mi_one!" the redhead said, her hands shaking. Hermione felt her face flush in heat and she tried to push herself up.

"Ginerva Molly _Potter_," she scolded, making bother Ginny _and_ Harry jump, "I am _not_ going into labor! I am _not_ going to the hospital without my husband, and I am _not_ going to let you to pressure me into going!"

The two stood for a moment in silence, and with a slight nod of her head, Ginny indicated something on the ground to Hermione. With a huff, the woman looked down at the ground the best she could over her large stomach.

"_Oh_."

On the ground between her feet was a small puddle of water that Hermione hadn't felt leave her body. Her water had broken.

She looked back up at her friends, tears welling up into her eyes.

"_Oh_! Oh, _Harry_, what am I going to _do_?" she cried, reaching out for her best friend. Harry immediately put an arm around her in support, though he looked just as clueless as she felt.

"Er...well, you must've read up on this, what do _you_ think we should do?"

Hermione let out a wail of a cry and dropped her head onto his shoulder, feeling helpless. This was _wrong_, why was she going into labor _now_, with_out_ Ron here to help her through all of this mess?

"We don't have to go anywhere, yet," Ginny said calmly, though she was a ghostly pale. "I can contact Dad—he might be able to send over a Ministry car."

"But what if Baby comes _now_?" Hermione gasped, holding herself as if she was going to lose everything. "My doctor is a _Muggle_, how on Earth am I going to get to him in time…oh _no_! What if I have Baby _here_?"

"You'll be _fine_, Hermione," Ginny soothed, helping Harry walk Hermione around the room. "You _know_ I'm training to be a professional Healer, you're in good hands!"

"You're not going to be an obstetrician!" Hermione yelled, eyes wide with fear. She couldn't _possibly_ have Ginny deliver Baby! "What could you possibly know about delivering babies?"

"We have to know almost _everything_ there is to know in case of an emergency, Hermione!" Ginny argued back, swishing and flicking her wand all around the room, transfiguring objects into pillows and sheets and other necessities. "And I think _this_ is an emergency!"

"I'll call your dad, Ginny," Harry said quietly, in obvious shock, leaving his wife to hold up Hermione. Hermione moaned as another contraction racked through her body, leaning into Ginny, and she let out a few shuddered breaths.

"I can't _believe_ this," Hermione muttered, putting a hand through her hair. Ginny laughed softly and sat Hermione in the rocking chair again.

"I'm going to try and calm you down, okay?"

"I'll only calm down if Ron's here," she responded, growing weepy. "I _can't_ believe this!"

"Well, you _have_ to," Ginny explained, using a spell to untangle and braid Hermione's wild curls. She placed some cooling charms on her body and instantly Hermione felt relieved.

"Promise me you know what you're doing, Ginny," Hermione said quietly, not daring to turn around and look her friend in the face. She had realized that she was probably going to give birth in this house, since giving directions and getting down the wards that had been put up around Godric's Hollow could take a very long time. Only people that knew where it was could get there with a simple Apparition, and even that left them at the end of a rather long walkway.

"I promise, Hermione, I won't let _anything_ happen." She smiled and took Hermione's hand over the pregnant woman's shoulder. "Now…tell me some names for our little girl," Ginny said in a teasing voice. Hermione sighed, patting her stomach.

"I've told you them a million times, and you _know_ we want a boy, Ginny."

"But I always go against the curve, so what are some girl names?"

Hermione bit her tongue and prayed that she was having a boy before she released some of the girl names she and Ron had decided on,

"Emily is our number one name, and then there's Allison, but _I've_ always like Delaney. Ron doesn't like that one very much, but who knows."

Ginny cooed as she expertly created a rather well conditioned room for giving birth. Well lit, the bed was shrunk to the size of one in a hospital, and there were plenty of things for Hermione to hold onto when she was in pain.

"I like the boys' names, better," Hermione laughed, earning a groan from Ginny. "Jacob and Anthony, aren't those precious?"

"Not naming them after anyone?" Ginny noted not that she minded. There were a million Weasleys; they didn't need doubles of any names.

"Oh, it'll be Jacob Arthur and Anthony Remus," Hermione explained, looking hopeful. "Which do you prefer?"

"They're both wonderful names, but I'm going to have to go with Emily."

"_Ginny_!"

"I'm _sorry_! I'm just standing by my niece! She's not enjoying that you're calling her a boy!"

Hermione huffed and then bent over herself as another contraction ripped through her. Ginny ran a warm hand down the back of her friend, knowing that it had to be immensely painful.

They remained in silence for the next five minutes, Hermione going through only one other contraction. Her mind swirled, and she realized something that might be very important to the Healer who was going to perform the delivery.

"Ginny?"

"Yeah?"

"Can I tell you a secret? Don't tell Harry but…since, you're _probably_ going to be my doc—Healer…"

Ginny swelled up, loving the sound of _her_ being a _Healer_. She walked around to the front of the chair, staring at Hermione with a warm smile.

"Sure, tell me anything!"

With a deep breath, Hermione spilled her secret, and Ginny shrieked, making birds fly out of their trees.

Once Harry was out of the room, he bounded down the stairs as fast as his legs could carry him. What was Hermione _thinking_? 'It couldn't happen today!' wasn't _she_ the most sensible person on, well, _Earth_?

Harry skidded into the kitchen and slid across the floor into the living room, where the fireplace was. What was he going to _say_? How on Earth was he going to manage out a complete sentence when his best friend, someone he's known since he was bloody _eleven_ years old, was going into labor in the _guest room_ of his house, a house that you couldn't get through without proper permission and the tearing down of _wards_?

"Breath, Potter," he muttered to himself. "The Burrow!" he yelled into the fire, and Harry waited for the connection, hoping one of the Weasleys was in the house. Hoping? How much shock was he actually _in_? There was _always_ someone at The Burrow, _always_.

Except of course, today.

He released an extremely frustrated growl and pulled his head out of the fire, falling back onto the balls of his feet. The hospital? That would take even more time, considering that they had to go through double the wards a Weasley would. _Why_ did no one leave him alone after the defeat of Voldemort? All those reporters and Death Eaters who hadn't been caught—they were the reason behind so much security; how were he and Ginny supposed to sleep soundly if they knew they could be attacked at any moment?

"St. Mungo's!" he cried into the fire, knowing that a secretary had to pick up, at _least_.

"Good morning, St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, how may I help you?" the kind voice of the secretary said, a large smile on her lips. Harry stuttered for a second, trying to think of the simplest response,

"M-my friend, she's gone into _labor_."

"Right."

Harry waited for her to continue, but she just stared at him as if _he_ was supposed to know what the hell was going on.

"Well?"

"State your name, please," she said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the whole entire world.

"Harry Potter," he grumbled.

"Really?"

Harry groaned, squeezing his eyes shut. Quickly and just long enough to for her to see, he moved his hair out of his face and showed her the lightening bolt scar.

"_Wow_, I never thought I'd actually meet you!" the woman exclaimed, looking delighted. She called over her shoulder, "Hey, Susan! I have Harry Potter on the line!"

"_Excuse me_," he said loudly, narrowing his eyes. The woman turned back to him and smiled brightly.

"Right then, what's her regular Healer's name?"

Harry blinked a few times, his mind swirling. _Regular Healer?_ This was not heading in the direction he wanted.

"Oh, er, she doesn't have one there—she's Muggleborn, she had decided to give birth the Muggle way—"

"So then why are you contacting St. Mungo's?"

Harry glared at the woman, but she seemed unscathed. He clenched his fists, hoping that she didn't think she would get away with such a snappy attitude in such an important situation.

"We can't get to her doctor," he explained quickly, "she's gone into labor _early_, it wasn't supposed to happen—"

"That's not very good planning."

"SO BLOODY_ SORRY!_" Harry roared, completely frustrated. "Is there _anything_ you can do for me other than waste time? My friend is in _labor_!"

The roaring miffed her slightly, but it seemed that she was used to such explosions.

"Okay, she can't Apparate nor can she ride Floo, so you're going to have to find another way of transporting her here."

"I _know _that. That's why I _contacted _you."

"Where are you?" she asked, completely ignoring his seething voice.

"Liverpool," Harry sighed.

"Ooh, that's _far_, isn't it? Not sure if we have that area on our maps…" He heard papers flipping and she looked back up at him with unfeeling eyes. "Yeah, the closest landing spot would be about half an hour away."

"Could you make it directly to my house?" Harry asked, sounding hopeful.

"No."

Harry sighed and dropped his head. This was getting him nowhere. If she didn't answer the following question the way he wanted, he was going to have to disconnect and pray that Ginny knew what she was doing.

"How long do you think it's going to be to send an ambulance…or whatever?" Harry realized for the first time that he had _no_ idea what Wizards used in emergencies like this.

"How does she feel about traveling by Portkey?"

"She _can't_ travel by Portkey!" Harry exclaimed, looking abash. The woman rolled her eyes, sighing.

"First pregnancy?" She clicked her tongue as Harry nodded. "She _can_, but seeing by your reaction, she'll refuse and panic which is _not_ good for the baby. Hmm…well, we _do_ have ambu-lenses, but our experienced driver just went on break—I'll contact him if you like?"

"Yeah. Do that." Harry was just relieved that he had some sort of help on the way. "I'll make sure he can get in. It's 38 Wright Road, okay?"

"Yes, I have it all, thank you, Mr. Potter. But I'm warning you, it'll probably be about an hour--"

"Thanks a lot, now just _come_!" he exclaimed and then pulled his head out of the fire, completely exhausted. What a tiring woman! Thank goodness he didn't have to contact anyone else, his back wasn't feeling too well after all of that time kneeling.

Harry stood up and stretched his arms, reaching far back as possible. He groaned and while he held the stretch his eyes gazed upon the pictures on the mantle, and his heart _dropped_. There was a picture of Ron, Hermione, and him on the couple's wedding day.

"Oh hell," he muttered, falling to his knees again. He had forgotten about Ron, who of course, should've been the _first_ person he contacted. His mind searched for the hotel his friend would be staying at, and Harry chuckled as he stuck his head into the fire, "The White Ferret, Bulgaria!"

_Please, please _PLEASE, let Ron be in his room, with any luck that Harry had left after all these years, let his best friend _be in his room_.

"Velcome to The Vite Ferret, how can I help zu?" a man said, looking extremely bored.

"Ron Weasley's room, please, and it's an emergency," Harry said quickly, rapping his fingers rapidly. The man chewed on some of his bubble gum and nodded, his head disappearing.

Harry's heart was beating so fast that he felt like he was going to collapse, why was this _taking _so long?

As if by some miracle, Ron's face appeared, and he stared questioningly at Harry.

"Harry? What is it? Is Hermione okay?"

"It's Hermione, Ron," Harry managed, getting over the shock of seeing his friend, "She's gone into labor—"

And then an immensely loud shriek filled the house, jerking Harry out of the fire and up the stairs, closing the connection with Ron.

**A/N: Next up: Ron freaks out and finds himself teaming up with an unlikely pal, and the birth of Baby :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Chapter 2 of Oh, Baby! Will Ron make it to Hermione in time?**

_Labor_?

"Harry!" Ron screamed as his friend's face disappeared. There had been a scream in the background, had that been Hermione? Why was she screaming? What was going _on_?

He scrambled to his feet, rushing towards his closet and flinging out his trunk. All of his robes and clothes flew out after it, landed quite messily in or around it. There was no way he could stay any longer in Bulgaria, he need to get home, and he needed to do it _now_, not caring if this cost him his career.

The task at hand was to get three players from the Bulgarian National Quidditch team to join an All-Star game for a charity in the name of the victims of Voldemort's war. It didn't sound like a hard task to those that weren't in the know, but Bulgaria had been a primes source for Death Eaters and followers, and even if they hadn't literally participated, many of the people agreed with Voldemort's plans. Famous Quidditch stars included.

Except one, of course, and that was who Ron was to meet with against his will. He had accepted the job with a smile full of clenched teeth, but he was set to do it, he had been on having lunch with Viktor Krum.

But now, now he had to get home as fast as he could to his wife. Ron couldn't imagine how she was dealing, she had been quite nervous through the whole pregnancy and his heart stung at the thought of her going through it without him. As he managed to summon all of his random objects from around the room into his trunk, Ron silently vowed to never leave Hermione alone for longer than a night. He rummaged through his trunk, trying to find his passport so he could put it in his wallet for easy access like Hermione had suggested.

"Vat is the problem?"

Ron's shoulders scrunched high and his fingers curled, teeth biting down hard on each other. Slowly the redhead turned around and faced the man that had driven him absolutely insane for much too long.

Krum looked almost exactly like Ron had remembered him, except he wasn't as tall as he had seemed to be. Ron was now well over six feet, easily towering over the former Triwizard Champion.

"Hello Viktor," Ron managed, shutting his trunk closed with a flick of his wand, and heading over to his dresser in search of his passport. "I'm so glad you can make it, but I can't stay—I'm sorry: I have to go home."

He looked a little surprised at the comment, but Krum's eyes narrowed in interest as Ron continued to search for his passport, kneeling on the ground to look under the bed.

"Ees eet Herm-own-ninny?"

Ron paused and shut his lips as tightly as he could. He wanted to laugh, he wanted to laugh _a lot_, but if he wanted a chance at getting Krum to work with him at some point, he couldn't.

Taking a breath, Ron poked his head out from under the bed and nodded slowly, "Yes, she's going into labor, I have to go home."

The statement seemed to shock Krum and he showed more emotion than Ron had ever seen on the Bulgarian's face. "How are you getting home?"

Ron threw his hands up in the air, shaking his head frantically.

"I have no bloody idea, seeing as my _passport _has gone missing and my scheduled Apparition date isn't until the twenty-_fourth_! Do you know how _long_ it's going to take to get it changed? I have to get home! NOW!"

The redhead hadn't realized the state of mind he was in until that very moment. His body was shaking terribly and with an aggravated grunt he fell to the bed, his head in his hands. Hermione was alone, she was doing this _without_ him and there was absolutely _no _way he could get there in time! He was going to miss it; he was going to _miss it_…

"I could get you through."

Krum's voice broke through the silence Ron's eruption had created. Slowly, and almost dramatically, the man brought his head up and stared at the Quidditch player as if he held the answer to all of life's questions.

"What?"

"I could get you home," Krum said, grinning. "Unless of course you vish to vait…"

"_No!_" Ron exclaimed, jumping up and away from the bed. "H-how? I mean; getting through Customs is _such _a bloody pain in the arse!"

"Ven you are as famous as I am, you have vays to get around such things—plus I own this hotel," Krum added with a laugh, and for the first time in many years, Ron's face didn't flush in embarrassment or jealousy; he was far too busy thinking of his wife than how successful Krum was.

"All right, _yes_! How soon can we leave—oh _damn_, my _passport_! I can't find it!" he growled, falling to his knees to check under the side table by the bed. "I won't be able to go _anywhere_ without it!"

"Summon it?" Krum suggested, leaning against the doorframe. Ron's eyes lit up and he quickly 'Accio'd' his passport, with little luck.

"I _just_ had it, and I have _no_ idea where I put it!" the redhead groaned, grabbing his hair. "She's going to _kill_ me!"

"Let me try," Krum said slowly, looking as if he had an idea. Ron stopped himself from rolling his eyes and watched as Krum summoned his passport. Immediately, Ron felt a tugging in the back pocket of his jeans, and suddenly his wallet burst out of the pocket it was in and through his robes, right into Krum's hand.

"What in the world…" Ron muttered, rushing over to Krum. With a grin, the Quidditch star opened his wallet, revealing, yes, Ron's passport. The redhead blushed a furious shade of red, but when Krum released a laugh, he chuckled right along with him.

"Hermione would be proud, I actually did what she recommended," Ron noted, patching up his pocket and then sticking the wallet back in, "except I couldn't remember that I did…"

"How about vee Floo to the Apparition station and vee can be there in less then thirty minutes?" Krum suggested as they levitated all of Ron's trunks out of the room. The redhead looked on in amusement, surprised that Krum seemed to be just as eager to see Hermione as he was.

"We?" Ron asked as they made their way into the elevator, Krum pushing the 'Ground Floor' button. He turned to Ron, smiling,

"Herm-own-ninny ees one of my greatest friends," he began to explain, rocking on the balls of his feet to the elevator music. "Vee have been pen pals for years now—I vas disappointed vhen I found out I voodn't be able to be there for the birth of her child…so…ees eet okay eef I come?"

Ron thought for a moment, nodding his head in agreement. This was so strange; he had been dreaded the meeting with Krum since he had first found out his task. Of all the things he had imagined, this was definitely the last—Krum wasn't crazy in love with Hermione, he was a good friend that cared about her, like Harry. He was someone that could be trusted and _wanted_ to be trusted.

"I bet she'll be happy that you're there," Ron said, grinning. Krum sent a real smile and nodded, stepping out as the elevator doors opened. They got the trunks out into the lobby without much trouble (people had noticed Krum and asked for his autograph while Ron checked out), and soon they were Flooing their way to the Apparition station.

Ron stood back as Krum made his way through the crowd, finding a worker or usher, whatever they called them. The man's face lit up with excitement as the Quidditch star approached him, and immediately began leading Krum towards the back. Krum waved for Ron to follow over his shoulder, and soon the two were signing papers and showing off passports to get their traveling schedule.

"We just cut in front of a million people," Ron said under his breath, though the smile on his face was proving that he didn't really mind if he was being cursed. Krum laughed and signed the last paper he needed to sign.

"Yes, vell, we have a very important mission to accomplish."

The two shared a grin, and with two loud _cracks_ they were on their way to the first checkpoint. They had four in total, and by the time they both reached the London Apparition station, the men were both incredibly tired.

"I've never Apparated so much in so little time, I need to sit _down_," Ron moaned, holding his head.

"Do you know vere she ees?" Krum asked, conjuring a cup of water for both of them. Ron nodded, but put up a finger as he took his first sip of water.

"She's staying with Harry and my sister, so we need to go to my house to get there—"

"Harry Potter?" Krum inquired, as they stood to head for the nearest Flooing Station. When Ron nodded, the Bulgarian nodded as if impressed, "He married your sister? That's really nice."

Ron sent him an odd look, questioning his statement. Krum shrugged casually, plopping some sickles into the booth to get into the Flooing Station.

"It's one big happy Veasley family, no?" he said, turning back to Ron. With a loud laugh, the redhead agreed and the two found an open fireplace, ready to head off.

"Here's the plan," Ron began, ticking off things with his finger. "I need you to go to my parents' house and send them to Harry's—they'll tell you where to go. _I _have to go back to my house to get Hermione's parents and some things, and then we'll all meet up. Sounds good?" When Krum nodded, Ron stepped into the fireplace and exclaimed, "You're going to 'The Burrow' all right?"

"The Burrow," Krum repeated. Ron nodded, and stuck out his hand to shake his traveling partner's. The two men shook vigorously, and Ron was extremely glad that he didn't have to go through this trip alone.

"See you at Harry's," Ron said before Krum disappeared in a whirl of green smoke. Taking a breath, the redhead picked up a pile of powder and through it down into the fireplace, "Weasley Warren!"

In a flash he was spinning, his eyes shut because he had never liked traveling by Floo Powder. He wouldn't admit it to his family, but Ron rather enjoyed driving the car he and Hermione owned.

He landed almost gracefully into the library of his house, and startled Hermione's parents, who were house sitting until Baby was born.

"Ron!" Dr. Paige Granger exclaimed, dropping her book in surprise. She had the same curly brown hair as Hermione, and Ron grinned as she sent him the same scolding look Hermione does. "You scared me half to death!"

"What happened to Christmas?" Dr. Anthony Granger asked, putting down his cup of tea on a nearby table. He didn't seem as shocked as his wife, but he was still intrigued by his son-in-law's sudden appearance.

"Change of plans," Ron explained, rushing out of the living room and up the stairs; he heard his in-laws following, "Hermione's gone into labor; we need to get to Harry's," he called over his shoulder and down the stairwell.

"Oh _my_!" he heard Paige shriek. "She's giving birth _now_?"

Ron rummaged through the back of his bedroom's closet before he found what he had been looking for, and rushed out and down the stairs. Hermione's parents waited at the foot of the steps, looking anxious.

"_Accio keys_!" he yelled, flinging his wand out with expertise. There was a quick jingle and from somewhere inside his house, Ron's keys soared to him, landing in his hands. "C'mon, we have to get to Harry's, and there's no way I'm teaching you how to Floo today!" He was immensely grateful that his friend and sister only lived fifteen minutes away by car.

"Well, isn't this exciting!" Anthony laughed, tossing his wife his jacket. "Hermione was exactly on time!"

"You know how we magic folk are," Ron explained, getting in to the passenger seat and buckling his seat belt, "always making a ruckus!"

"Not with my grandchild, you're not!" Paige yelled, gripping onto the seat as Ron quickly backed out of the driveway and sped down the road to his wife. 

Harry Potter had gone through many things in his life, from dragons to trolls, to evil overlords that threaten to destroy the world, as he knows it. But nothing, _nothing _could have prepared him for what he was faced against now, as he ran up the stairs of his house at top speed. If something happened to Hermione, if something went wrong with her pregnancy, there would be no way Harry could lead a normal life---how could he when his two best friends were going through so much pain?

He burst into the guest room, wand at the ready and heart racing. His wife and Hermione shrieked at his abrupt entrance, then stared at him as if he had horns and purple spots all over his face. It took Harry a moment to realize that nothing was wrong.

"Harry?" Ginny asked slowly, leaving Hermione's side to carefully make her way to her husband. "What's wrong?"

"Who screamed?" he asked, his eyes darting around the room. Ginny's face flushed and she meekly raised her hand. Harry's jaw dropped and he let his hands fall to his side. "_Why_?"

"Er…" the redhead started, turning back to Hermione who was also sending a weak smile. "Be…cause?"

Harry let out a loud groan and fell back to the wall, slumping down to the ground. He'd never get used to living with women, always screaming and shrieking whenever _anything_ happened, even if it was something _good_.

"Nothing's wrong, don't be so worried!" Hermione said, holding her stomach. "Ginny was just…a little _excited_."

"It's not _that_," Harry moaned, putting his face in his hands, "I lost contact with _Ron_, last thing he must've heard was the scream—he's probably gone beserk!"

At that, Hermione let out a cry and burst into tears. Harry groaned again, knowing he should've been slightly more sensitive about relating the news. Ginny paled and rushed out of the room, probably heading towards the fire to try and see if Ron was still available. Harry pushed himself up and went over to Hermione, taking her hand and trying to soothe her,

"Don't worry," he started, though it didn't seem to help at all, "he knows you're in labor, he'll be here as fast as he can."

"But he's probably so _worried_!" she cried, wiping her face with her free hand. "I'm so _stupid_, Harry! Why was I so set on having everything _perfect_?"

"Because you're _you_, and you're _not_ stupid! You're just a first time mother, that's all," Harry laughed as she blushed. "Everything's going to be _fine_, okay?"

"Okay," Hermione sniffled, and then her face contorted as she had another contraction. Harry was glad he was there to help her through it, but then he fingers started to crush his hand, and he suddenly didn't want to be there.

"_OW_!" both Harry and Hermione yelled. They heard a 'thud' downstairs and then what sounded like a bowling alley rush up the stairs. It was Ginny who burst into the room now, holding the back of her head. She looked on in shock and then amusement.

"Quite a grip she has," she laughed, coming over as Harry pried himself away from Hermione.

"That hurt a lot more than the others, Ginny," Hermione managed, breathing heavily. "I thought this wasn't supposed to happen for a while! This is so much earlier than the average!"

"How often had Baby been _kicking _this morning?" Ginny asked calmly.

"About every ten to twenty minutes," Hermione answered, looking confused. "Why, what's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing—just that I'm thinking those 'kicks'…er…were _really_ minor contractions," Ginny said with a frown, making Hermione groan. "You've probably been in labor all morning, which is why it's getting more intense 'faster'. Let's get you on the bed." She and Harry helped Hermione stand up from the chair and it took a bit of effort to get her onto the bed.

"This is _not_ going how I planned," Hermione moaned again, covering her face as Ginny took of her friend's socks and shoes.

"We've noticed, Hermione," Harry muttered, rubbing his hand. "St. Mungo's is sending an ambulance, so we _do_ have help on the way."

"Good," said Ginny, who took a seat in the rocking chair. "We really can't do anything until it's time for her to start pushing. I'm not qualified to put on all the charms, so…she's going to have to go natural."

"You mean with_out_ pain killers?" Hermione asked, her eyes growing wide. Ginny nodded slowly and frowned when Hermione dropped her head back in dismay.

"I thought you were going to do it naturally _anyway_!" the redhead exclaimed, turning to Harry with an annoyed look in her eyes.

"I _was_!" Hermione cried, sitting back up, "But now that I _can't_ have it, I _want_ it!"

Harry sat on the end of the bed, patting Hermione's foot sympathetically, "You'll be fine; you've gone through worse stuff, right?"

She nodded and released a dramatic sigh. Ginny rolled her eyes and got up, stretching.

"I'm going to go make us some drinks and look up some things in my books, will you be okay?" she asked Hermione, who nodded slightly. Ginny sent a soft smile towards her husband and then left the room.

Hermione sniffled and Harry turned to her with a smile. He knew she was more scared than she was letting on, but he also knew that she would absolutely refuse to tell him so. Harry got up from the bed and went to sit next to Hermione, his back against the headboard. She instinctively leaned her head into his shoulder, like she had so many times before. The two relaxed, knowing that they were there for each other, like they always had been.

He held her hand while she went through a few more contractions, each one getting longer and within a shorter amount of time. Harry knew his hand would be bruised in a few hours, but he didn't dwell on it. Hermione was growing more and more worried as the time passed, but she remained silent, keeping her hand in Harry's.

It wasn't until a crash in the kitchen made them jump that Harry let go of his friend.

"What on Earth?" Hermione muttered, though she made no effort to move. She was sweaty and looked exhausted; she was dreading the next part. Harry put a hand out and made his way out of the room and down the stairs. He heard voices, very familiar voices.

"She's upstairs? How is she? Oh _my,_ what a start this one gave us!"

"Molly?" Harry called from up the stairs, and to his immense relief, Ginny and Molly Weasley appeared at the bottom of the steps along with… "_Krum_?"

"His name's _Viktor,_ darling," Molly Weasley said as she headed up the stairs. Ginny shrugged, following her mother up the stairs and past Harry. Krum waved softly and joined Harry, putting out his hand.

"I vas vith Ron vhen you told him the news—I got him through Customs and home."

Harry's eyes lit up and he looked past the Quidditch star for his redheaded best friend. When he didn't appear, Harry looked back at Krum in confusion.

"He vent to get Herm-own-ninny's parents," Krum explained. Harry bit his tongue to stop a laugh that was ready to escape, and nodded. A loud moan was heard from the upstairs and Harry cringed.

"I've got to get back to her," he said to Krum, who nodded. Harry turned and made his way into the room at record speed. Hermione was breathing heavily and when she saw him she reached out for him, looking terrified. Harry immediately grabbed hold of her hands while Mrs. Weasley performed some soothing charms on the pain-stricken woman.

"It's a good thing Viktor got here when he did," Molly said, producing some flowers in a nearby vase to make the area more comfortable, "we had just gotten home from Charlie's—Arthur is actually watching the children as we speak."

Harry immediately felt sorry for his father-in-law. Charlie's four children, Michelangelo "Mike", 9; Jason, 8; Cassiopeia "Cassie", 6; and Kaida, 3, were very loud and rambunctious—it helped that their father tamed dragons and their mother was a very eccentric Metamorphmagus.

But, he was glad that The Burrow and Ron and Hermione's house were the only two Floo connections that could get directly to Godric's Hollow—Ron would be here at any moment.

"_Viktor_?" Hermione asked, her eyes wide. At that moment Krum entered, smiling weakly. He sent a small wave and Hermione released few tears from her eyes. "Is everyone but _Ron_, going to be here?"

"Ron's on his way," Harry said, grinning. Hermione's eyes grew wide and let some more tears fall down her cheeks. "He went to get your parents."

"Oh, how _thoughtful_ of him!" she exclaimed, wiping at her face. "He stayed _calm_, that's _so _great! Oh, I _knew_ there was a reason I married that man!"

Harry laughed, but then yelped as Hermione had another contraction, squeezing and quite possibly breaking one or more of his fingers. A long and agonizing scream escaped her lips, and something told Harry that this was different from all the other contractions.

"I need to _push_!" Hermione screamed; twisting Harry's wrist and making him fall to one knee. He wanted to scream but he wouldn't dare in front of Viktor Krum. Ginny jumped up and into action, sending some spells towards Hermione. Her eyes widen and face paled. She looked at Harry with a terrified glance, and took a big gulp of air.

"Yeah, she's ready," Ginny croaked. Molly Weasley clapped in excitement. Krum paled and backed out of the room, making Harry feel slightly smug. Ginny went on and made some contraption that Hermione could put her feet on, and took a few shaky breaths. "Er—Mum, could you conjure some blankets and basinets?"

"Of course," her mother said without hesitation, and she immediately produced quite a few blankets and basinets—Harry guessed to be on the safe side. Ginny took residence at the foot of the bed, breathing in deeply. She performed some charms on her hands that made them glow white for a moment, and then she did the same to her mouth.

"Stand still, Harry," she said as she pointed her wand at him, and soon his hands and mouth were glowing white. "Mum?" Molly stood forward and glowed white. Harry figured that it was some sanitary charm. Ginny shut her eyes for a second after she finished with all the charms, and then opened them with a new sense of determination on her face. Harry reckoned he rather liked that look.

"Okay Hermione, you're fully dilated—oh Merlin, she's fully _dilated!" _the redhead put her hands to her mouth, looking absolutely terrified.

"GINNY!" Hermione shrieked, crushing Harry's hand. "Do _NOT _panic on me!"

"Me either, _ow_!" Harry yelped. Ginny sent a look his way, and with a deep breath she got into position.

"All right Hermione, on three we're going to push—ok?"

"What about my _breathing_?" Ginny released a frustrated growl and waved her hand in a frantic manner,

"Harry, _breath_ with her!"

He looked at his wife with a face full of confusion. Molly sighed impatiently and joined Hermione by Harry, "Dear, let's breath…"

Harry should have known that his mother-in-law was an expert on such things, having produced seven children. He watched as she somewhat calmed Hermione with the odd breathing methods, and it was then that Ginny gave another signal for the woman to start pushing.

While Hermione screamed, Harry shut his eyes tightly, not wanting to witness it. Well, he was interested in seeing someone being _born_, but it just sounded too painful to watch. He might have also been trying to ignore the pain that was shooting through his arm, but that was really too hard to do.

"That was really good Hermione!" Ginny exclaimed, looking at the mother-to-be with bright eyes, "One more and I think we might be able to see the top of the head!"

"Oh _goodness_," Hermione and Harry said at the same time, thinking that this was going to take a long time. Molly continued to place cooling charms and leading her daughter-in-law through her breathing methods.

"On three, ready? One…two…_three_!"

Another agonizing shriek left Hermione's mouth, and Harry briefly wondered if of his neighbors could hear this. Sure, they lived a good five minutes away, but it was still a possibility.

In the long and held out scream of Hermione, Harry almost missed the sound of a door slamming. He made his way as close to the door as possible without letting go of Hermione's hand (not that he could, she had a death grip on him). He heard voices, could it be—

"_Ron_?" Harry yelled, making everyone in the room shriek. Krum, who had been down the hallway, heard the yell and started down the stairs to see what Harry screamed about. He didn't get very far because a very exhausted Ron rushed up by him.

"_RON_!" Hermione shrieked, starting to push again. She was trying to concentrate on pushing and at the same time watching the door for her husband to burst in.

"HERMIONE?"

"_RON!_"

Ron made it into the room, trying to stop himself from the rapid pace he had been running at. Instead, he tripped over his feet and fell flat on his face with a large grunt. The women shrieked again, and Harry believed his eardrums were going to explode from the noise. His best friend though, made it up to his feet as quickly as possible, rushing to the other side of his wife's bed, gripping her free hand with both of his.

"I'm so _sorry _I wasn't here faster!" Ron exclaimed looking as close to tears as Harry had ever seen him. Hermione shook her head furiously, pulling Ron inches away from her face.

"It's o_kay_, just stay _here!_" she moaned, going into another push. Ron's frantic eyes found Harry and he looked to be in absolute shock. Hermione's parents hurried into the room, standing on Harry's side of the bed, sending their daughter supportive smiles.

"Oh, _oh_, she has red hair!" Ginny squealed ("GINNY!" "Er, sorry."). "You're doing _great_, Hermione, I have no idea how many pushes, oh—_oh_! Look at the eyes!"

"Ginny, CONCENTRATE!" Ron roared, kissing Hermione's hand furiously. Or maybe he was kissing his own, for she was squeezing his as hard as Harry's (which she hadn't let go, by the way).

Molly backed away, seeing that Ron was now helping Hermione with her breathing, and it was quite a sight: the three people who had been best friends for most of their lives bringing into the world a creation of love.

It took another twenty minutes of painstaking pushing on Hermione's part and wrenching handholding on Harry and Ron's. Both of the men had coached and cheered from the side, but when Hermione got really angry they shut up. With one last long and strong push, Ginny squealed and Hermione relaxed into her pillows.

Harry and Ron stood in shock, waiting for Ginny to come up from behind the blankets she had set up. They didn't see her, though, when the cry of a newborn baby wailed through the room.

"It's a _boy_!" Molly cried, joining her daughter so she could wrap up the tiny baby. Harry still hadn't gotten a good look at the baby, but he didn't care. From all away across the room he was able to tell how bloody adorable the child was. He turned back to Ron and saw that the new father was still frozen, his jaw slack and face pale.

"Let me see," Hermione pleaded, attempting to sit up. Ron immediately unfroze and kept his wife in a lying position. Soon Molly walked over to Ron's side of the bed with the blue bundle. The grandmother looked at her youngest son with starry, glassy eyes as she carefully handed him his first child.

Ron's shaking hands and arms gently took the baby and he grinned, completely.

"_Look_, Hermione!" he choked, bending down so that Hermione could see her child's face. She immediately began to cry, touching the baby's cheeks softly, tracing over his features.

"Oh…_Ron_, look at him!"

"He's _precious_!" Paige Granger cooed, crying furiously and silently. "My _grandson_!" Harry grinned, forgetting that this was the Granger's first grandchild. Hermione's father looked immensely proud, and Ron tentatively reached across the bed and put his son into the arms of his maternal grandfather.

_Ron's **son**_.

Harry's mind swirled as he got his first good look at the baby, who was quite pink and scrunched up. Ron and Hermione created this little human being, the same two who had bickered constantly every day of their lives since they met on the Hogwarts Express. Two of the most important people in his world just became parents, taking on such a tremendous responsibility—Harry felt like all of his duties as The-Boy-Who-Lived had nothing compared to this new miracle.

It was over, the wait and the hectic arrival of their son was finally over, and now they can get on with their lives, Hermione could let go of Harry's hand (she was still gripping it extremely tight, though it was lacking blood flow and he could only feel a slight buzzing), and he and Ginny could take on their duty as Godparents…

He was snapped out of his reverie when Hermione groaned again, looking as if she was…

"Wait, what's going on?" Harry asked, looking fearfully into the other faces. He stopped on Ron's face; he looked rather embarrassed. "_What_?"

"Er, mate? There's something we've been keeping from you…"

But before he could finish, Ginny shouted, "Okay Hermione, this one's coming out faster than the first!"

Harry wasn't exactly sure why he did it, maybe it was all of the shock and surprises he had received in the past two hours, but his eyes rolled back in his head and he promptly fainted at the announcement that Hermione wasn't just having _one_ child, but two, _twins_.

**A/N: lol, you know, when I named the hotel "The White Ferret" I was just joking, hee. But I did like the guesses that it was Malfoy, and I can totally see why. But Hermione _did_ briefly think about Ron being in Bulgaria…so, yeah. Krum owns the hotel, and I'm thinking he heard wind of Malfoy's 'furry incident'…so yeah. Thanks for guessing though! **

**Forgive me if I made labor look too easy, or short. I really didn't want to go into…er, _detail_, and most of the labor is through Harry's POV, anyway—he's busy hoping his hand isn't broken : D **

**There's a short (well, knowing me it'll be long) epilogue coming up! Thanks for reading! **


	3. And twin makes four

Chapter 3- And twin makes four...

It was almost dinnertime, and for the first time in his life, Ron Weasley wasn't hungry. Okay, that was a lie; he was actually _starving_, but he didn't dare move from his spot in the rocking chair. He was too busy with his son.

The ambulance from St. Mungo's arrived about twenty minutes after Hermione gave birth to their second child, another boy. After getting jammed with some wards Harry had forgotten to take down, they ran tests on Hermione and the twins. All results were positive, and the Healers, seeing as how everything had been properly taken care of, left a few specialized Portkeys to the hospital if anything went wrong.

They also helped Harry, who had a large bump on his head after falling to the ground in shock. Ron had found it rather funny, but he did feel guilty about not informing his best mate about the twins. He and Hermione had decided to keep it a secret because, well, it was _their _secret, and they deserved to.

Ginny was given great compliments by the Healers, making her family swell with pride. Though, she _had_ whined a bit about both of the twins being boys, saying that it wasn't fair how they couldn't give her _one_ girl. But, Ron didn't exactly care about his sister at the moment; all his attention was focused on the little bundle of blue he held in his arms.

Jacob Arthur Weasley was wide-awake in his father's arms, staring at him with his gray-blue eyes. The boy already had puffs of curled red hair, and Ron was immensely happy because of that. He and his brother Fred had made a bet about the hair color, and now his brother owed him a weekend of babysitting. Jacob yawned, and Ron couldn't help but think that his son was the cutest damn thing in the world…

Well, he was tied for first, anyway.

In Hermione's arms laid Jacob's twin brother, Anthony Remus Weasley. He was born only five minutes after; Ron had a feeling that the older twin would use that against his brother. Anthony also had signs of red hair, but much less than his brother. He was fast asleep in his mother's arms, but Hermione was still gazing at him with an enormous batch of adoration.

And Hermione…when everything was done, when both Jacob and Anthony were fast asleep taking their first naps, and when the room was empty except for the brand new parents and their babies, she wrapped her arms around Ron and cried into his shoulder, thanking him for giving her such precious gifts.

The moment she thanked him, tears burst from his eyes for the second time that day, and he held her as tightly as he could without hurting, whispering how much he loved her into her wild curls. He held her as she fell into a much-deserved sleep.

It was later, and now the two new parents were silently waiting for the rest of their family to enter the room, knowing that they had been dying to come in. As if on cue, there was a soft knock, and Ron crossed, with Jacob still in his arms, to open the door.

"Yes?" he said to his sister and his best friend. Both had eager expressions on their face, and Ginny immediately reached for Jacob; she cooed like she had all day.

"And how's my ickle nephy-nephew?" Ginny was an expert in baby talk. "You're just the key-_utest_ ickle thing I've ever met, yes you _are_!"

Ron and Harry simultaneously rolled their eyes as Ginny made her way over a chair, rocking Jacob gently.

"He's _so_ cute, Ron, I think I'm getting over the 'them-not-being-girls' thing," she noted, grinning.

"Well, that's good," Ron said, leaning against the wall as he watched Harry approach Hermione, "cause I reckon' that we're not having that changed any time soon."

"Do you want to hold him, Harry?" Hermione asked softly, noticing how tentatively he was stroking the baby's hair. Harry didn't need to say it, she and Ron both knew, and Hermione carefully put Anthony in his arms.

It had to be quite a shock for Harry, though he had dealt with many babies before; it was the fact that it was Ron and Hermione's son that made it so unbelievable. Hell, _Ron_ still found it quite unbelievable. Harry turned around and smiled so brightly at Ron; it was literally one of the happiest moments in his life.

"He's so tiny," Harry said softly, sitting on the edge of the bed. "Anthony Remus, that's a very nice name you've got there," he said, poking the baby's nose.

Ron and Hermione shared a look, and with a small smile, she indicated what Ron was already thinking. Ginny walked over with Jacob, still making faces at the baby.

"Erm," Ron began, making the two look up. Hermione grinned, watching with interested eyes. "Would you two…well, it was kind of a given, but…would you be Anthony's Godparents?"

Ginny held in a squeal and Harry's chest swelled with pride, both nodding immediately.

"What about Jakie-wakie?" Ginny asked, looking down at the baby she was holding. Hermione giggled and Ron's eyes widened slightly at the nickname.

"We've asked Viktor to be his godfather, because Ron would never have made it home without him," Hermione explained, smiling at her husband. Harry and Ginny laughed in surprise, but nodded, knowing that the title was well deserved.

"They both have amazing Seekers for godfathers," Ginny noted, bumping shoulders with her husband. Harry smiled, but his eyes remained on his godson.

"They're natural born Quidditch players!" Ron added, making Hermione glare at him. "_What_?"

"Don't get them started on Quidditch _already_!" she scolded, but she had a playful look in her eyes. "I want them to know how to read before they can ride a broomstick."

Ron and Ginny groaned in unison, immediately going into reasons of _why_ it was so important for the twins to get their Quidditch training in early, while Hermione was going on about the library she had already started for them. The three would've argued for quite a bit, if it hadn't been for Harry's quiet, but bold statement,

"I want one."

All three of the bickering people stopped and slowly gazed at Harry, who was still entranced with his godson. Ginny looked the most intrigued, because, well, she was the most _involved_.

"What?" she asked, wishing for her husband to elaborate. A blush ran up Harry's neck and onto his face as he turned towards Ginny, an amazingly silly grin on his face.

"Let's have a baby," he said simply, his green eyes twinkling. Ginny bit her lip, but Ron could tell that she was ready to shriek in excitement. Hermione clapped her hands over her mouth in an excited fashion, and the two new parents grinned broadly as Ginny nodded.

"I mean, I know you still have a few months of training left…" Harry said, handing Anthony over to Hermione. Ginny immediately followed his suit and gave Jacob to Ron.

"That's _fine_, I'll be done soon, oh, _Harry_!" She flung her arms around her husband's neck; squeezing him so tight that Ron thought Harry might faint again. He didn't, thankfully.

"Get out of here, you love birds," Ron laughed, pushing the two out of the room. He shut the door behind them with his back, shaking his head in disbelief. "I can't believe I just sent my sister off to make a baby with my best friend…oy."

"Stop being silly!" Hermione giggled, noticing that Anthony had woken up. "Doesn't everyone deserve such a precious gift?"

At that, Ron's mind clicked, and he remembered something that he had forgotten in all of the chaos. Carefully, he put Jacob back into his basinet, and summoned something out from under the bed.

Hermione looked on questioningly as Ron took Anthony and put him in his crib as well. He sat down on the end of his wife's bed. In his hands he held a pretty box that was topped with a single red bow.

"It's a present for you," Ron said, blushing slightly. "I figured…well, I wasn't doing the hard part so…" he shrugged, making Hermione smile broadly.

"_Really_? That's so thoughtful, Ron!" She put her arms out in search of a hug and a kiss, which Ron eagerly granted. "How long have you been hiding this?"

"Since we found out they were twins." He laughed at her shocked face, knowing that she couldn't believe he'd kept a secret from her for almost four months. "Here, open it."

Hermione grinned shyly and took the top off the box, reaching in and pulling away some tissue paper. "_Aww_, little Cannons pajamas!" She looked up at him, smiling widely, "I was wondering why you hadn't brought these home!"

"Believe me, it was hard not to show them off!" he laughed, leaning over to look into the box, "C'mon, there's more!"

She laughed again and this time pulled out a deep red colored box, and she looked a bit confused. _Then_ she looked at the cover, "_Oh_! A complete set of Mother Goose fairy tales!" she squealed, "This is the _exact_ set I've been searching for! Where on earth did you find it?"

"Your dad helped me search for it on the Innernets," Ron explained, looking smug. Hermione laughed, putting a hand to her mouth.

"The _inter_net? _You_ went on a _computer_?"

"Yeah! Those books came all the way from the Amazon, so you _know_ they must be one of a kind!"

Hermione let out a loud laugh and wiped away some tears from her face. Ron didn't understand what could have been so funny, but he let her laugh anyway.

"This was so nice of you, Ron," she said, a hand to her chest as she tried to calm down. "I can't believe the effort you went through!"

"There's something else," he said, his voice much softer than before. Hermione raised a single eyebrow, and buried her hand into the box, going through some more tissues to find what felt like…

"A book?" she said, and Ron smiled. She pulled it out, and it wasn't in the normal shape of a book, it was more of a photo album. The cover was leather and scarlet, and in a golden cursive 'W' was in the center. "Ooh…how beautiful!" she said quietly, opening the front page. Her eyes widened and she looked back up at her husband.

The front page was a picture of the two during their time spent at The Leaky Cauldron before their third year. Hermione had completely forgotten about it, but after seeing it, the thought raced back into her mind. It must have been the first picture they had ever taken together. She flipped the page and pictures from the Quidditch World Cup were there, and it went on and on throughout the years.

There was one of the day Ron had proposed; the two were pink faced and the picture versions of them couldn't stop kissing and hugging. Wedding photos were next, and now Harry and Ginny, along with the rest of their family, were making more appearances.

Their first day in their house, Ron's road test, Harry and Ginny's wedding, the opening of the Hogsmeade Branch of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes…

"Oh Ron…" she whispered, looking at a picture of the pregnancy test she had taken, the one that had finally said 'positive'. "This is wonderful, you did this all yourself?"

"Well, Ginny found the older pictures," he explained, his ears pink. "I put it all together, though, and it was my idea…" Ron trailed off as she flipped the page again. A soft 'thumping' filled the room and tears welled up in his eyes as she started to cry, putting a hand to her mouth.

On the page were a few of the sonogram photos that had been taken at their doctor's. They were regular Muggle photos, but with a few spells, Ron had managed to change them into Wizard portraits; they babies moved and with another spell, he had placed the sound of their heartbeats into the page.

She looked up at him and bit her lip, shaking her head. "You're wonderful."

Ron flushed and shrugged, staring at the picture. Hermione reached for his hand and grasped it tightly.

"This is just so amazing, all the effort you put into it…"

"I mean, it's the least I could do," he said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "You _did _carry my boys for nine months…"

"_That's _true," Hermione giggled, peeking over towards the crib the twins were sleeping in. "Oh, I wish they'd wake up!"

"You're not going to be wishing that tonight," Ron chided, and Hermione grinned, looking absolutely ready to take on the challenge.

* * *

_Three Years Later__- New Year's Eve_

"Aaaaaa_AAAAAAAAAAAAH_!" Jacob Arthur Weasley shrieked, rattling the childproof fence that was stopping him from going from going up the stairs. The three-year-old's red curls were bouncing all over the place as he let out another scream, scrunching his eyes to force some tears out and gain sympathy from his parents. Ron and Hermione knew better, though.

"No, Jake," Ron said, picking the boy up from behind and carrying him into the kitchen. Jacob screamed some more, but he didn't struggle against his father's chest. He'd learned already that tantrums never worked.

Ron put the baby into his high chair, next to his twin, who was quietly separating his cereal into different groups. Anthony Remus didn't cry often, and when he did, it was usually because Jacob was trying to make him do something he didn't want to.

Hermione was in front of the sink, humming and moving her shoulders to a song that was playing in her head. Ron watched with amusement, and attempted to sneak up on her, even though he knew she was quite aware of his presence.

When he wrapped his arms around her waist, Hermione smiled and leaned back into him, not stopping what she was doing. There were bowls of punch, cider, and something the children couldn't drink, and along the side of the sink were plates full of appetizers that Ron was itching to snatch. His wife was decorating everything with bits of edible glitter and charming the design of the plates so they would change after someone touched it.

They were having a small New Year's Eve party, and it was almost seven, when the guests should be arriving.

Hermione smacked away Ron's hand before he was able to grab a stuffed mushroom, and turned around in his arms, smiling coyly.

"_Those_ are for our guests," she said, raising an eyebrow. Ron pouted and made a few whimpering noises that made the boys behind him giggle.

Ron turned around quickly, and began to stalk towards the twins as if he were sneaking up on his prey. Slowly he made his way towards them, with each step he made a 'thump' sound with his mouth, making their anticipation grow.

Jacob and Anthony knew what was coming; they had played it many times before, and began to shriek in delight, trying to get out of their high chairs. But their struggles were of no avail; Ron swooped both of them up in his long arms and charged into the living room, making the boys scream at the top of their lungs.

Hermione rolled her eyes, but she could help but smile as she watched Ron 'drop' the twins onto the couch, tickling them furiously as they kicked and laughed hysterically. Ron initiated the 'fight' time with the boys almost hourly, and Hermione found it endearing and useful; it tired out the boys so they would sleep straight through their naps and the night.

There was a knock at the front door, and Hermione walked past her boys to open it, hoping their visitors didn't find the sight of the 'fighting' too alarming. Peeking through the peephole, Hermione grinned and opened the door, her arms wide.

"Hell_o_, how's my precious Goddaughter?" she cooed, taking the redheaded one-year-old out of Ginny Potter's arms. Harry and Ginny smiled brightly and entered, sending amused glances towards Ron and the twins.

Hermione twirled Elisabeth Rose Potter in her arms, making the girl's green eyes shine with delight. She released a happy squeal that made the three wrestling boys realize that they had guests. Ron stood up with Jacob still latched onto his shirt, and greeted his sister and best friend, breathing heavily.

"Those two are going to be able to beat _you_ up, one day," Ginny noted, plucking Jacob off of her brother. The boy screamed happily and tugged on his aunt's long hair. With her slightly swollen belly, Ginny was eager for a little boy of her own, so she took every opportunity to play with the twins to prepare.

"That's not for a while now," Ron said, helping Anthony down from the couch. The boy stumbled slightly, a bit dizzy, but Uncle Harry caught him before he hit the ground.

"Did you find out about the job, Harry?" Hermione asked, a twinkle in her eye. Harry couldn't help but blush, and shrugged.

"Snape's retiring at the end of this year…so…I'm probably getting the position of Defense Professor," he said, earning shouts of joy from Ron and Hermione. Ginny looked immensely proud, and hugged her nephew tightly to her, because her husband was being swarmed.

"You're replacing _Snape_, that's...strange," Ron said, thinking about their seventh year, when the potions master had _finally_ won the position as Defense Professor.

"It's still amazing," Hermione said, sitting down with Elisabeth, who was pulling at her hair. "Now you and Neville can be co-workers!"

"I didn't think about that," Harry laughed, sitting on the couch. "I wonder how he's dealt with Snape in the professor's lounge?"

The four laughed, making the babies giggle too. Ginny was levitating a ball around for Jacob to try and catch, and the boy was having a grand time jumping up as high as possible to grab it.

"Well, this is a change from our wild New Year's' Eves of the past," Harry said as he pulled Anthony onto his lap, to read the book he had brought for him. "I'd sit here all night reading this book if I had to."

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Hermione laughed, nudged Crookshanks away with her foot; the animal always grew a bit jealous when another baby was present. He was very protective of Hermione's children, as he felt like their protector, but he always purred for attention when Elisabeth was in the house.

They chatted for a little bit, about every day little things (they hadn't seen each other in about a week), and, like it had for the past couple of months, the conversation always ended up being about the newest Potter.

"Is a little Harry in our future?" Hermione chided, knowing that Harry was adament about not naming his son after himself.

"_No_," Harry laughed, flipping the pages for Anthony. "Maybe a little Ronald, though…"

"Absolutely not," Ron scolded, waving a finger at his sister. Ginny giggled and shrugged, not telling which way the couple was heading with a name. "No, seriously, don't name it after me!"

"And why _not_?" Ginny spat, growing angry. Ron froze; he remembered how temperamental his sister had been during her first pregnancy, he had a scar to prove it.

"Because…that sentences him to a life time of being _Little_ Ron, you know?" He knew his reason was weak, but he honestly didn't feel as if he should have the honor of a child being named after him. Hell, he hadn't named his _own_ sons after him.

"It's staying on the list," Harry said, trying to please both parties. "We were thinking about something for Sirius…"

"And your dad," Ginny added, a sparkle in her eyes. Harry shrugged, and ruffled Anthony's hair.

"Dunno if I'm ready to do that," Harry said, sending his wife a look. Ginny huffed and bounced Jacob on her knee, annoyed that all her suggestions were being shot down.

"Well, if you're looking for something for Sirius," Hermione said, using her wand to summon a book, "Here's a book of constellations…you know, to keep that tradition." She handed the book to Ginny, who looked interested. She sent her husband an encouraging glance, and Harry nodded, smiling.

"Anyone else coming?" Ginny asked, after flipping through a couple of pages.

"Mmm, the rest of your brothers should be showing up soon," Hermione said, standing up with Elisabeth on her hip. She started towards the playroom, where she had set up various activities for the children (and Fred and George) to play with.

It had taken a lot of begging on Ron's part to get Hermione to host the celebration, but she had finally agreed, and now he owed her a weekend of babysitting.

"With your parents on vacation, this should be interesting." Harry grinned, nudging Ron. "A riot always breaks out at these things."

Ron yawned and nodded watching as Jacob was quietly stalked Crookshanks into the kitchen. He wondered if he should stop his son before the cat grew annoyed, but the doorbell rang again, and Jacob took that as his signal to pounce.

He missed, of course, and landed face first on the tiled floor of the kitchen. The boy let out a howl of pain and Ron rushed to pick him up and heal him.

"Aw, my little hunter fell down," he said, putting Jacob's crying face into his shoulder. "Your cousins are here, you don't want to cry in front of them, do you?"

The boy didn't seem to hear him, though, and continued to wail as the house filled with family.

Charlie and his wife, a very clumsy Auror his nieces and nephews called 'Auntie Tonksie', entered, their six children in tow. Michelangelo, Jason-Bilius, Cassiopeia, Kaida, and Leora all followed their parents in a straight line, but once they were in the house, they scattered and began making as much noise as possible.

"Ehh, Jacob!" Charlie said, poking the boy in the nose. Ron grinned, knowing Jacob would do something to retaliate. "What's the fuss about?"

"No cat!" Jacob shrieked, swatting at his uncle. Ron roared with laughter as Charlie pretended to be fatally injured, making Jacob hide his smiles in his father's shoulder.

Anthony was showing Tonks the book Harry had given him, but his attention turned to the new guests, who had balloons in their hands.

"Bah-_woons_!" he squealed, rushing towards the multicolored orbs.

"Hell_o_ Weasleys!" Fred exclaimed, releasing the balloons that multiplied into at least a hundred more, floating about the house in a wonderful rainbow. Angelina came in behind, their youngest, Brian on one hip, and their eldest, Little George, on a leash-like contraption.

Behind them entered George and Katie, whose children were in similar situations as Fred and Angelina's. Annie was clamped to George's chest while Katie tried to get Little Fred's shoes on as he hopped around the living room.

"There are drinks and appetizers in the kitchen and dining room!" Hermione shouted over the commotion, pointing her wand at a picture frame that was about to fall over because Michelangelo bumped into the table it was on.

"I've brought the fun stuff!" Bill Weasley announced as he entered, his beautiful wife, Fleur on his arm. Their daughter Juliet was a miniature version of her mother, and the little brother Derek was already moving with the suaveness his father was known for.

After crying for five minutes, Jacob realized that there were things and people for him to play with, so he struggled and Ron finally put him in the ground, just to watch him run straight into Fred's son, Brian, knocking them both to the ground. Instead of crying, the two boys, who would be starting Hogwarts in the same year, laughed hysterically.

Ron shook his head at the boys, and made his way through the crowd, towards the stairs. Though he enjoyed being with his family, there was only so much noise Ron was willing to take. He would join the party later, but for now, he had something better to do.

Making sure Hermione didn't see him sneak away Ron easily climbed over the small fence at the bottom of the stairs, and bolted to the second floor. He stopped on the landing to listen for anyone ratting him out, his ears trying to pick up any suspicious sound. When he thought everything was clear, Ron started towards the room at the end of the hall, past the toy room and the master bedroom.

The door was shut, and with the carefulness he had learned room being a parent, he turned the knob slowly and pushed the door open, just enough to allow him to fit in, and then he shut it behind him.

The room was painted a pastel yellow, with a flowery border and an enchanted ceiling that showed the night sky when the lights were off. The thin white drapes were shut, but the light shining through was enough for Ron to see what he had snuck away for.

A white crib sat under the window, and Ron slipped off his shoes so he wouldn't mess up the light green carpet as he walked towards the crib. He leaned his arms on the edges, and with a loving smile, stared down at his little girl.

Emily Paige Weasley, named after Hermione's grandmother and mother respectively, slept silently on her pink blanket, her numerous stuffed animals surrounding her. She had much more red hair than either of her brothers had at this age, and the hair was already as curly as her mother's.

She was a June baby and Ron hadn't been able to go an hour for the past six months without looking at her. He often made surprise visits home just to hold her, and the boys, of course. There was just something about this little girl that Ron couldn't comprehend.

Carefully, he put his hands under her and lifted her up, laying her head on his shoulder. Emily remained asleep as he walked towards the rocking chair his mother had given Hermione during her first pregnancy, sitting down gently.

Ron always liked that Emily's room wasn't pink and extremely girly. Though Hermione hadn't been able to stop herself from squealing when she saw the precious little dresses and shoes her mother and in-laws had given her, Ron was sure that Emily was going to be just as tough as the woman he had fallen in love with and married.

He rocked and watched her face, and she squirmed slightly, her eyes opening. Ron grinned and nudged his nose with hers and she giggled loudly, smacking his face.

"Oy, Red," he whispered, leaning his head back so she could grab at his face. "You're going to give Daddy a scar, you are."

"Da-dee," she repeated, pinching his cheeks. Ron scrunched up his face and blew softly at her face, making her laugh. "Da-dee!"

"Em-lee!" he exclaimed softly, blowing again. Her giggles filled the room and made Ron's heart swell.

When he and Hermione had found out and revealed that they were going to have a girl, Ron's father pulled him aside and told him something that Ron now found to be absolutely true. There was _nothing_ like a little girl, Arthur Weasley had stated with a shine in his eyes. The love that little girl has for her father wouldn't equal a fraction of his love for her, Ron's father had said, and those two simple statements made Ron incredibly anxious to see his baby girl.

Emily came into the world without all the drama the twins had, and she was born in a Muggle hospital with Muggle doctors. It was a sight to all the Muggles, a waiting room full of loud and excited redheads.

Ron was given the pleasure of walking into the waiting room, seeing all of their suspense (and making it last a little longer as he avoided the subject), and telling them that Emily Paige was officially a Weasley. The eruption of noise had caused everyone (except Ron, who Apparated back to Hermione's room) to be kicked out of the hospital.

Anthony and Jacob adored their little sister, though they had been obviously confused when she was brought home from the hospital. Hermione had given them each a little baby doll, to get used to the concept of having a baby in the house, but when Hermione introduced Emily to her brothers, Anthony exclaimed,

"Not 'nother one!"

Emily leaned her stomach onto Ron's chest and began playing with her father's hair, pulling it softly as if she didn't want to hurt him. He enjoyed these quiet moments with her, even though the voices of the party guests were humming in the background.

"Ready to celebrate a new year?" he asked her, examining her eyes. They still hadn't changed to their final color, though Ron was rooting for Emily to have the same brown eyes as her mother.

"Nu yeeh," Emily mimicked, poking his nose. Ron smiled and let her play with his face, hoping that she stayed this sweet forever.

She yawned and her eyes fluttered, and Ron knew he shouldn't have woken her up. He cradled her in his arms, and after sending a locking and silencing charm on her door; he began to rock, softly singing a rhyme his mother used to sing to him,

"_Golden slumber kiss your eyes, __  
Smiles await you when you rise.  
Sleep, pretty baby,  
Do not cry,  
And I will sing you a lullaby. _

_Care is heavy, therefore sleep,  
While I o'er you watch do keep.  
Sleep, pretty darling,  
Do not cry,  
And I will sing you a lullaby._"

He knew he didn't sound very good, which is why he put a silencing charm on the room (and also so no one could walk in and hear him), but he always managed to put her to sleep, which is all he really wanted.

Ron carefully put Emily back in the bed, making sure the charms that would allow Ron and Hermione's wand to pick up her cries were still intact. He kissed her and left, closing the door softly behind him.

He trotted down the stairs, finding Anthony standing in front of the fence, looking as if he had been searching for something. Ron grinned; his son must've seen him disappear up the stairs.

"Ahoy, Anthony!" he said, picking up the toddler. Anthony yawned and dropped his head onto Ron's shoulder, watching the party with his large, tired eyes. "Tired?" Ron asked him, and the boy nodded, rubbing his nose. "Well, let's get your brother and I'll put you to bed, okay?"

Anthony nodded again, this time yawning and grabbing hold of Ron's collar. The father smiled and began to search for his other son, who surprisingly was nowhere to be found. Ron bit his tongue. With all the chaos of the party, Jacob must either be in the middle of it or…hiding from it.

The only quiet place in the house would be the library, and making his way over about four puzzles that were being put together by his various nieces and nephews (and brothers), he noticed that the door was slightly ajar.

Ron pushed the door open, and he smiled. Hermione and Jacob were sitting in the comfiest chair in the house, reading a book Ron couldn't see the title of. Though with closer inspection, Jacob was asleep on her lap, curled up in a blanket.

Hermione looked up and smiled, closing the book.

"Is he out too?" she asked, meaning Anthony. Ron nodded, sitting on the arm of the chair.

"All partied out," he said, kissing the top of Hermione's head. Ron motioned towards Jacob, a look of confusion. "He wanted to read?" His wife grinned and nodded, amazed.

"Yes, he just brought me the book and dragged me in here, it was wonderful."

"I just made sure Emily was asleep," Ron said, leaning his head on Hermione's. "She is."

She giggled, releasing a sigh.

"I'm happy, Ron," she said simply, turning to look at him. Ron smiled, examining her face. She still looked like the girl that insulted him on that first train ride to Hogwarts. During those first couple of years, he would never have imagined wanting to spend the rest of his life with her. Falling in love with Hermione Jane Granger was the best thing that had ever happened to him.

"I'm happy too," he said, and they kissed, ready to bring in the next year of the rest of their lives together.

**A/N: Thanks for waiting so long for this epilogue J If you're interested, I have a LJ entry with all the ages, names, middle names, of all the Weasley grandkids Thanks again for reading my story!!** If the link doesn't work, my user name is shakenshimmy and under "Memories" there's a link to the entry :-)


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